YTT – Will you ever be ready?

NOVEMBER 8, 2018

Will you ever be ready?

Don’t Clean Before the Cleaners Come; or before your Yoga Teacher Training

When I was a little girl I would watch my grandmother cleaning frantically and ask her what she was doing and she would say that the house cleaner was coming. I think a lot of people feel that way when they are about to embark on a teaching journey. They feel they have to be a yogi superstar and know everything before they even begin. The act of taking a teacher training is not something that is meant to be done when it is perfect.

Yes, tidy. Make some space. Roll out your mat. Read the books. Open your heart. Wade in.

Our next Yoga Alliance Certified teacher training begins in January 2019. This training is for those that would like to explore their own practice, deepen their yoga knowledge and connection, both with self and with the yoga community. This training is for both those that aspire to be teachers and those that don’t. You take it where you want to go. One of the innumerable gifts of yoga is that it is for self first. You choose whether it fits to share that with others or not.

Is it right for you?

If you are thinking about it or know someone else that might be, we wanted to share some insights and answer some of the questions we often receive from curious students.

What can you expect to learn in our Yoga Teacher Training?

A Lot! About Yoga. About Yourself. Our yoga teacher training consists of practice (both in the role of a student and in the role of a teacher), posture clinics, meditation, anatomy (gross and subtle body, energy, etc.), teaching methodology (structuring a class, language, voice, observing, adjusting, etc.), and philosophy (history of yoga, the yoga sutras, etc.). We have written a syallabus for our training and we have a specific amount of hours that we spend in each module. At the end of the training you will be filled and fueled. Filled with yoga wisdom, and fueled to go deeper, whether that is on your mat experiencing and exploring or off your mat sharing with others. Maybe both!

What is the schedule/ a typical day like?

You begin the day with a yoga practice. This will be led by your lead teacher for the weekend. This is followed by pranayama (breathwork), and a meditation. Then there is a morning break. You will then move into a posture clinic. We will break down 5-7 poses each day. We will look at how to cue the poses, offer adjustments and modifications for each, as well as what the benefits/contraindications are. Then we will practice teaching them to one another. Lunch time. After lunch it will vary as it depends on what is being covered in the module that weekend. If you are with Curran you will be in the world of anatomy. Candace, Lisa & Lisa share elements of philosophy and teaching methodology.

What makes the Yoga Santosha training unique?

You start teaching from the very first module. Not an entire class of course! However you start to explore and find your voice, you learn how to cue, and you start cultivating your teaching skills from the very beginning.
There are 4 of us that lead this training. This means you have thousands of hours of knowledge being shared with you. At the foundation we all hold the same philosophy and come together as a team to ensure that we are leading accurately and consistently to maintain cohesiveness within the group and within the learning structure. At the same time we have our own histories, trainings and authentic way of leading classes and sharing our knowledge.

What does Yoga Alliance certified mean?

The Yoga Alliance is the largest non profit association representing the yoga community. They support the integrity as well as the diversity of the teaching of yoga. We submitted a syllabus of our teacher training and a governing board approved our program. With this you can be assured that we are held to the highest of standards and that we are offering a training that adheres to the Yoga Alliance guidelines.
You can also become a registered Yoga Alliance teacher after you have completed your 200 hours. This can be beneficial for a number of reasons, including if you are planning to work abroad, as the alliance is recognised internationally. This however is a personal choice and is not mandatory to have in order to teach. More information can be found at https://www.yogaalliance.org/

Is there homework?

Yes. Between weekend modules you can expect there to be some homework or out of class readings and assignments. If you can allocate a few hours a couple of times between each training you will easily complete any assignments. The first book we ask you to have read is “How Yoga Works”. If you plan to take the training we suggest picking it up and leisurely reading it over the next couple of months. Actually whether you are taking the training or not we suggest reading this book! It’s a fabulous novel and great introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

When do I teach?

There are two practicums in the training. The first one is done with a partner from the training. One of you will lead the first 30 minutes of a class and the other one will lead the final 30 minutes of the class. We will be giving you a list of the foundational poses that you can teach for this class. They will be poses that we have covered within our posture clinics. You will be teaching your peers in the studio space.
The second practicum occurs in the final week of your training. You will be ready! You lead your own 60 minute class. You step into the full role of being a teacher.

Do I have to be able to DO all the postures in order to take the training let alone teach?

This is a very common concern for yogi’s who consider taking teacher trainings. The answer is most definitely not. You will learn the mechanics of all postures, how to cue in and out of postures, the foundation of the poses and how they work, and what they work, etc. By simply figuring out how the posture works you will be able to lead someone into something that you can perhaps only dream of at the time. There are poses that a lot of teachers will never be able to do for various reasons but it doesn’t make them any less of a teacher. The beautiful thing about our trainings is that we create a very safe inclusive and non-judgmental space, so even if you are not able to do a posture, there will be no judgement or negativity.

I really don’t think I want to teach, but I want to learn more, is this really for me?

You genuinely do not need to ever become a teacher to receive all the benefits of a yoga teacher training. It is a very personal journey. Yes, you learn some very key points that will guide you to being an incredible teacher. Every single one of these teachings can be for your own practice and for your own benefit. The gifts that come with the taking a teacher training will keep unfolding for years. The connections with the students and the teachers are integral to the journey and the deepest connection we hope you will forge is with yourself; inner transformation. The truth is we need to dive deeper into the seat of being a student and into ourselves in order to fully experience the teachings and the wisdom of our yoga practice. In Indian philosophy everything is learned through direct experience.

If you have any questions or need more information, please email info@yogasantosha.ca and one of our lead teachers will be in touch with you.

For more information on the training we offer, visit https://yogasantosha.ca/teacher-training/